What a pretty face, eh?
Japan loves the cherry blossoms the most, and one can get a good idea why—it's usually warmer, for one, as the cherry blossoms are around April but the plum blossoms are around February—but for my money, the plum blossoms are best. They have a delightfully sweet fragrance, the flower itself is lovelier, and it is often less busy outside to see them.
Japan didn't always love sakura (cherry blossoms) best. The plum blossoms (ume) are the favorite in China and are one of the country's most beloved symbols. They are so loved in part because they bloom when it is still winter and are seen as a symbol of the coming spring. They symbolize perseverance and hope, beauty, purity, and the transitoriness of life.
Early Japan copied this love of the plum blossoms[1], but around the Heian Period[2] things started to change and the cherry blossoms gradually became more popular.
Many of you may be familiar with hanami[3] which is enjoying the cherry blossoms. Hanami can also refer to enjoying the plum blossoms, or you might also hear the word umemi[4] to specify this.
I Saw Her Standing There
At any rate, this is from a few seasons ago. Nothing has bloomed yet, at least not in my area. But my buddy 
| David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |